Coin holder



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I fltll I K LII lllllllll :llllLlllHlu c. J. DONOVAN COIN HOLDER Filed June 6, 1952 Sept. 1, 1953 Fig.1.

Patented Sept. 1, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to coin holders, and more particularly to a type adapted to be conveniently carried in the pocket or handbag and which will hold a substantial number of coins of cliiferent denominations in separated groups.

It is an object of the invention to provide an article of this character in the form of a flat compact holder for convenient reception in a pocket or handbag, and which will hold a number of groups of coins of different denominations in separated rows thereby permitting instant ex traction of the required number of coins of the desired denomination at any time. It is another object of the invention to provide a device of this kind which can be very inexpensively manufactured so that the same can, if desired, be given away for advertising purposes, or as a premium, or else can be sold very cheaply.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a simplified device of this character which will be capable of one-handed operation. That is to say, the device while held in one hand is constructed to have its slidable cover member moved to open position and one or more coins extracted, all by the operation of the fingers of the hand that is engaged in holding the device.

The convenience of having a number of coins of different denominations always available for the payment of car or bus fares and for other purchasing purposes, is so well known that it need not be here emphasized, but because of the bulk and inconvenience of operation of coin holders heretofore proposed, such devices have not been used to any great extent. With the knowledge of the objections made to prior devices, the present invention contemplates the provision of a light, compact, fiat holder for coins which will produce no bulge in the pocket; which will hold a number of coins always available for instant use, and which when used for advertising purposes will be found extremely useful and effective.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation or face view of a coin holder constructed in accordance with the invention, with its cover in closed position;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the holder, showing its cover member in open position;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 44 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the holder, with the cover member in closed position; and

Fig. 6 is a face view on a reduced scale, of the slidable, flexible cover member.

Referring to the drawing, I generally indicates the frame or body of the holder. The same may be made of plastic material, of metal, fibre board, Wood or any other suitable, stiff material. The frame includes a pair of grooved side bars 2 and 3 between which is located a. double-grooved center bar 4. These three bars 2, 3 and 4, in suitably spaced relation, are integrally connected at one end by the cross-piece l3, and said bars define between them, a pair of channels, indicated respectively at 5 and 6, for the reception of two separated groups or rows of coins. In the particular arrangement shown, the channel indicated at 5 receives a row of dimes indicated at I, While the channel indicated at 6 receives a row of nickels indicated at 8. Thus, two separate coin chan nels are disclosed, but it Will be apparent that the device may be made for one row, or for more than the two channels disclosed, and in addition the channels may be made for the accommodation of rows of coins of denominations other than those disclosed. The use of the device for nickels and dimes is primarily illustrative and is disclosed simply because these coins are possibly more often used than others at the present time. Assuming then, that the device is intended for the reception of two rows of coins, the row of dimes indicated at l is accommodated in the channel 5, with the coins maintained in a groove 9 formed in the side bar 3 and in a groove H) which is one of two grooves formed in the center bar 4. The row of coins I held in these grooves is arranged so that the coins overlap one another and are disposed angularly in the channel as is clearly seen in Fig. 3. The rear end of the channel 5 is closed by the crosspiece l3 and thus the coins 1 in the channel 5 are held against rearward displacement. The front or open end of the channel 5 is shown at the upper end of Figs. 1 and 2 and is open, and coins are placed in the channel and are adapted to be successively removed therefrom out of this open end. To hold the coins from inadvertent movement out of this open end of the channel 5, spring fingers 22 provided in grooves 9 and Ill engage the periphery of the outermost coin and prevent it from displacement unless sufficient manual effort is employed to force each coin past these fingers.

The description of the channel 5 for receiving the dimes 1 also applies to the channel 6 which receives the nickels 8. The side bar 2 is longio tudinally grooved, as indicated at l2 and a cooperating longitudinal groove ll is formed in the center bar 4 and the nickels are thus held by these grooves II and i2. The nickels 8 are thus maintained in the groove 6 in the manner explained with respect to the dimes in the groove 5.

While the spring fingers 22 tend to lightly hold the coins l and 8 in their respective grooves, the pressure of these restraining elements 22 is not always sufiicient to prevent spillage of the coins from the holder if the same is dropped, or if the holder is shaken about or subjected to pressure while in the pocket or handbag. Hence, a, posi tive closure for the holder is found desirable and therefore use is made of a slidable cover member shown at It. The same consists of a relatively stiff but flexible normally flat section of sheet material, such as cardboard, thin metal, plastic, fibre or the like, arranged to be slidably moved in grooves l9 and 20 respectively provided in the side bars 3 and 2.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing, the cover member 14 is shown in its closed position, and it will be therein noted that the same has been slid forwardly to an extent to cause the same to follow the curved forward portion 2| of each of the slots 69 and 20 and has thus been extended over and is covering or closing the open ends of the coin channels and 6. It will be obvious that as long as the slidable cover member Hi remains in this closed position, the coins l and 8 in the respective channels 5 and 6 will be prevented from removal from the holder by falling out of the forward. open ends of these channels.

When it is desired to expose the open ends of the channels, for the removal of coins, it is merely necessary to retract the slidable cover M to open position, and this is done by engaging the raised ribs l! provided on the cover 14, with the thumb or other finger and drawing the cover rearwardly or toward the rear cross-piece i3, to the position substantially as shown in Fig. 2. it will be there seen that the cover has been retracted and the forward coins in each of the channels have been exposed and one or more of them may be readily slid out of the channels for use. When the necessary coins have been extracted, the holder is restored to its closed position by merely sliding it forwardly to the position shown in Fig. 1 wherein it extends over and closes the open ends of the coin channels.

The cover member 14 is preferably made of a flexible material of such a nature that it will readily follow the curved end portions 2! of the grooves i9 and 20 when it is urged forwardly, and will flatten to follow the straight portions of the grooves l9 and 20 when it is retracted, so that the simple opening and closing movements of the cover-can be readily effected by the pressure of one finger. To prevent inadvertent movement of the cover member and particularly to avoid the same moving from closed to open position while it is carried in the pocket or handbag, it may be found desirable to provide a bead or turned over rear edge 16 on the cover member. This will provide for suificient friction against the grooves l9 and 20 and will thus prevent too free sliding movement of the cover member. It will also tend to prevent collapse of the cover member under finger pressure while being moved, although the center bar 4, being directly below the point of pressure during operation of the cover, will materially support the cover and prevent it from collapsing under pressure or under careless use,

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the present device assumes the shape of a fiat, lightweight coin holder which can be easily carried in the pocket or handbag without material bulge. The arrangement of its closure or cover member I4 is such that while the device is held in one hand, the cover member can be slid back and forth by the fingers of the same hand and the coins slid out as required, also by the. fingers of the same hand. As a result, the device can be operated more easily than coins can be separated from a pocketful of change and selectively picked out for use. The device can also be operated while gloves are worn.

While the cover member I4 is primarily in tended to function as a closure element for the holder, it can also be used as an advertising panel and can be imprinted with advertising material, information as to the running of buses or trains or other data found useful daily. The device is of such construction that it can be made from heavy cardboard, pressed paper, plastic or other inexpensive materials so that it can be given away for advertising value. On the other hand, it can also be made expensively in precious metals and when so constructed will constitute a handsome and useful pocket coin holder.

While I have herein described a single embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that the same is not to be restricted thereto, but is broad enough to cover all structures coming Within the scope of the annexed claims.

What I claim is:

l. A coin holder comprising a holder body provided with a plurality of coin channels arranged in side-by-side relation, a separating element located between the coin channels, each channel retaining a row of coins in inclined and overlapped relation, the channels being all open at one end whereby coins can be successively and independently removed from any one of the channels through its open end, and a single slidable cover member mounted on the holder body and centrally supported by the separating element, said cover member being slidable to simultaneously close the open ends of all of the channels or else to simultaneously expose the open ends of all of the channels to thereby permit removal of coins out of any one or all of the channels, said cover member exposing at least some of the coins in each channel when in its closed position.

2. A coin holder having a body provided with a plurality of parallel bars having coin-receiving grooves in their edges, said grooves cooperating to form coin-receiving channels in which rows of coins are retained in inclined and overlapped relation, the. bars being also grooved for the reception of a slidable cover member, said cover member consisting of a flexible sheet having its edges slidably received in the last-mentioned grooves, the coin-receiving channels being open at one end, the cover-receiving grooves being curved adjacent to the open ends of the channel, whereby the cover when forced through said curved portions 01' the grooves will extend over and will close the open ends of the channels, said cover member exposing some of the coins in each channel when in its closed position.

3. A coin-holder having a coin channel composed of a pair of parallel bars provided with coin-receiving grooves in their edges, the grooves defining a coin-channel in which a row of coins is retained with the coins in overlapped and inclined position, the bars being unconnected at one end to thereby provide an outlet end for the coin channel, the bars each having a cover-receiving groove for the reception of a sliding cover, the cover consisting of a flexible sheet member having its side edges maintained in the coverreceiving grooves and slidable therein, the coverreceiving grooves following a curve adjacent to the coin channel outlet, so that when the cover is caused to be manually slid through the curved portion of said grooves it will extend over and close the coin ch-anne1 outlet, a separating bar located between the coin channels and over which the cover is slidable, said separating bar constituting a longitudinal support for and preventing collapse of the sliding cover under finger pressure.

4. A coin-holder comprising a flat, pocket-like body member having a pair of coin channels in each of which a row of coins is arranged in inclined and overlapped relation, a separating member located between the coin channels, the coin channels being defined by a pair of side bars, the side bars having guide grooves, a cover member in the form of a flexible sheet slidably positioned in said guide grooves and movable therein, the coin channels being open at one end to permit of the removal of coins out of said open end, the cover member being slidable in said grooves to either extend over and close the open ends of the channels or else expose said open ends, the cover when in its closed position, exposing some of the coins in each channel.

CORNELIUS J. DONOVAN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

